Toxic
by spirited curiosities
Summary: SasoOC. Fascination. Scheming. Entanglement. She never thought that the mysteries of her past, concealed by her retrograde amnesia, would be unraveled when she started to work for Sasori. He could not predict the depth of their involvement. Rated M for language, violence, and inevitable smut.
1. Complications

**Author's Note: **Thank you to all of my readers who have supported me by favoriting, following, and reviewing _Toxic! _Huge thanks to Dawn Summer, Akatsuki Wolf Rider, and Anzai for your reviews.

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**Chapter 1: ****Complications**

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**{Part I}**

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Peering over his steepled fingers, Hiruzen Sarutobi assessed the chunin who stood on the opposite side of his office. Dark hair swiveled across her shoulders when the young woman turned her sharp nose to the revered village leader. Hiruzen steeled his gaze, and wielded the authority that came with his position.

"Aiko, I decline your request to become a member of the ANBU Black Ops."

The young woman bowed. Her green vest crumpled into her stomach, organs tightening as she tempered her response. "Thank you for your consideration."

Sweeping his pipe off its tray, gray smoke trailing across his desk, Hiruzen sighed. "You are a fine shinobi, but your skills are not at an ANBU level." Aiko stiffened. Though her lips did not move, her green eyes flared under her lashes, challenging his assertion with resolute intensity. Hiruzen lowered his voice, apologetic but conclusive, "You know why I cannot promote you. I am still looking for a solution to your problem."

"Understood. May I return to my duties?"

"You may."

Heels clicking across the hardwood paneled floors, Aiko departed from his office. Hiruzen watched her, lowering the brim of his hat, and glanced at the unsettling document he had received from Captain Yura in Sunagakure. His withered fingers brushed the scroll, reading the urgent first line, but he neglected the message altogether when a frantic member of the Cryptology Team rushed into his office. "Lord Hokage! We received news from Sunagakure regarding the Chunin Exams."

"Oh?" Hiruzen leaned forward. "What is it, Yurika?"

"They have confirmed their intentions to participate."

Hiruzen mused, "Good. Perhaps we can build a stronger alliance. I understand that their recent budget cuts have devastated their economy, so this may be a good diplomatic opportunity." Yurika nodded, head snapping up and down, then took her leave. Hiruzen reclined in his chair, scarlet robes folding over his lap, contemplative mouth skimming the tip of his pipe. Financial difficulties often precipitated war, and the ninja world could not afford such instabilities. He glanced at the scroll from Captain Yura again.

"Perhaps," Hiruzen murmured, voice hopeful in the empty shallow room, "I can strike two birds with one stone."

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**{Part II}**

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Meanwhile, Aiko walked down the Academy halls, distraught from the denial. Her dress swished over her buttocks, hips containing the full sway of her pendulum emotions. She avoided eye contact with her Konohagakure comrades, glancing briefly at the classrooms where teachers had lectured her on the importance of duty. Sidestepping a flustered Iruka Umino, who barreled down the corridor, Aiko frowned when he shouted at his unruly students.

"Naruto! Shikamaru! Kiba!"

Apart from their yelps, giggles, and taunts, the miscreants refused to acknowledge their teacher. They leapt out the nearby window and dispersed in the courtyard. Iruka deflated, accepting the futility of his efforts, then noticed Aiko. She ghosted by him without a word. Iruka watched her, riled by her nonchalance. When she turned a corner, Mizuki, attracted by the ruckus, left his classroom and caught a glimpse of the haughty kunoichi. He smirked, tossing his head to the side, white hair swinging over his shoulders.

"Did Lord Hokage deny her request for a promotion?"

"Of course!" Iruka crinkled his nose, bunching the horizontal scar that stretched across his face. "She doesn't have what it takes to be an ANBU."

"Why?" Mizuki punctuated his question with a cool laugh. "Because she can't get along with anyone?"

Iruka stamped the knuckles of one hand against his hip and flipped open the fingers of the other. "Cooperation is important, but Aiko lacks a quality that is essential; she does not care enough for the village." He explained, "All upper-level ninja should have a sense of loyalty and, well," he exhaled harshly, "I don't think her loyalties lie with Konohagakure."

"Well, she is from a different village," Mizuki grinned, "not that she can return to it. Have you heard about what happened during her border patrol on Tuesday evening?"

"No."

"Oh, you'll _love _this—Kotetsu told me yesterday—apparently, she—"

Standing around the corner, near the exit, Aiko caught echoes of the conversation. Irritation edged into her mouth, but she had no interest in a confrontation.

Departing from the Academy, she walked into the sunlit afternoon. Warmth skimmed her cheeks, and fluttered down her back. She was content until a cool shadow eclipsed the land. Chilled to her bones, Aiko turned around. The stone faces of the previous Hokage glowered at her, summoning a horde of storm clouds, which closed around the kunoichi.

Despite the defiance that flared in her heart, Aiko remained cool.

Since she could not become an ANBU, she needed to prepare for her regular shift.

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**{Part III}**

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Blue rain slashed through the forests in the western quadrant of Konohagakure.

Aiko hated being on border patrol during these rainstorms. Dirt slickened into mud, which sloshed around her ankles as she searched for shelter. She scanned her surroundings, lifting her chin, flushed cheeks scraping the collar of her vest. Aiko located a large pine tree where a patch of dry grass, littered with pinecones, lay untouched beneath its umbrella boughs. She leapt over the glimmering rocks and roots, and landed under the shivering branches of the tree. She began to unravel her bandages, which spiraled down her upper arms and over her ankles, and paused when an urgent voice crackled from the radio on her waist.

"_Enemy spotted."_

Aiko stopped unraveling the bandage around her left bicep. She lifted her radio to her lips, replying, "Which quadrant, Genma?"

"_Western."_

Tensing, the kunoichi reached into the pouch attached to her lower back and withdrew two handfuls of poisoned senbon needles. She did not detect the bee, subtle and bred especially for espionage, that sidled up to her shoulder. Aiko pricked her ears to the radio. Two voices, the first belonging to Kotetsu Hagane and the second to Izumo Kamizuki, crackled over the speakers.

"_Identified him as a tracker ninja from Iwagakure."_

"_Shit. He's targeting Aiko and we need to move, fast!"_

Chills pierced Aiko to her core. Sweat, triggered by guilt, slid down the side of her face. This would be the second tracker ninja who successfully infiltrated Konohagakure with the intent to assassinate her. She squeezed her radio, looking down the misty road, heartbeat quickening when Hana Inuzuka spoke. _"Aiko, I have your scent." _Her dogs barked in the background, whining lowly when she reproached them. _"Can you hear me?"_

Aiko clutched her radio, but did not get the chance to respond.

A masked figure materialized on the road, barely visible through the fog.

Kenta, a tracker ninja from Iwagakure, intended to avenge his dishonored Kamizuru Clan tonight. A red sleeve concealed his right arm, which he bent at the elbow, hand raised to his face. Perched on his finger, an insistent bee alerted him to the presence of his target. His left arm, bare and muscled, bulged when he reached behind his head to grab his sword. His grey flak jacket added to his bulk, each pouch crammed with supplies for his long journey, and shifted when he unsheathed his weapon, brandishing it at Aiko, who rose to receive his contemptuous spiel.

"Aiko, formerly of the Merukuri Clan, I will assassinate you for betraying Iwagakure. You have used your kekkai genkai against your village and declared your allegiance to an enemy nation. Your acts of treason are unforgivable."

Aiko raised her needles. "My loyalties," she replied, voice crisp and incisive, "are none of your concern."

Kenta was on the verge of lunging. "If you do not surrender quietly, I will rip those Ketsuekigan eyes from your sockets."

Aiko slid into a predatory crouch and took her aim. "We'll see." When she flung her needles at Kenta, a swarm of bees converged on the road and barricaded the grim Kamizuru man. The buzzing insects then hurtled at Aiko, whistling through the mist like black and yellow missiles, stingers poised to kill. She performed a rapid series of hand signs and dropped to her knees. "Earth Style: Wall!" Slamming her palms into the mud, she summoned a crude earth wall and the bees splattered against the barrier.

Kenta leapt over her wall, sword hoisted above his head, water droplets streaming off his heels. "Too slow!" His blade came down between her shoulder and neck, snapping through her tendons. Kenta grunted. "You're finished." However, when brown sludge oozed from the injury, he tensed. "A substitution!" Kenta tugged on his blade, glaring at Aiko, whose form collapsed into a mud heap. Her remains pooled around his ankles, cementing the tracker ninja to the ground.

The real Aiko appeared from the bushes, pointing her fingertips with deadly precision.

"Striking Shadow Snakes!"

Three reptiles shot off her arm and sank their venomous fangs into Kenta's neck. He swore, grabbing the snakes by their bellies, and succumbed to a muddy explosion.

Aiko flinched at his substitution. She cussed under her breath and hopped upwards, onto a thick mossy branch, cautious about losing her balance. Glancing sharply to her left, Aiko dodged a strike from Kenta, who forced her out of the tree. Ponytail rippling as she plummeted to the ground, she landed, snapped up her chin, and sprinted down the road. Kenta pursued her, unstoppable, blade arced like the scythe of a reaper. Aiko blocked one of his incoming attacks with a kunai, but he sent her flying backwards.

Over the radio, which had fallen off her waist and crackled weakly in the rain, Hana exclaimed, _"We're almost there!"_

Skidding across the road, pebbles erupting under the soles of her shoes, Aiko readied a chakra scalpel. She could not wait for reinforcements. Blue flames bristled around her hands as she lunged forward. Kenta flaunted his blade, intending to hack off her arm, but he did not anticipate her speed. Focusing chakra into her feet, Aiko surged at her enemy, ramming her hand into his left shoulder, severing his deltoid muscle.

Kenta switched hands, pumped chakra into his swing, and carved open her shoulder.

Blood sprayed down her back and Aiko lost control of her chakra scalpel. Gripping her injury with one hand, she reached into the pouch at her lower back with the other, retrieving a handful of senbon. Poison droplets beaded and rolled off the silver tips when she cast them. Kenta parried her needles, knocking them to the ground, and charged at the chunin. Aiko ducked away from his fatal swipes, purple dress flapping around her thighs, and stopped beside her thrown senbon. She cast them a second time, chakra bursting from her fingertips, ensuring her accuracy.

Three of the needles struck Kenta, lining the back of his neck like porcupine quills, and he swore. Summoning another horde of bees, he rounded her.

Slowed down and weakened by her wound, the chunin retreated, throwing a desperate glance into the woods. Bees shadowed her, merging into a lethal throng above her head. Explosion tags crackled, fastened to their stingers and Aiko realized—too late—why Kenta had sent them en masse. Black ink sparked and flickered, hissing like fireworks, and the tags burst, one after another, into a frenzied orange blaze.

Crossing her arms in front of her face, Aiko cried out as the blasts flung her across the path, into a tree, which snapped on impact.

Black smoke obscured the chunin, unable to dissipate in the steady rain, and Kenta plowed through the smoke. He planned to decapitate Aiko, whose head was smashed into the splintered pine trunk. Blood dribbled behind her ears, vision blurred and hazy, and Aiko arched her nostrils when she saw the tracker ninja approaching, sword poised to impale her skull.

"_Die!"_

Before he could deliver a fatal blow, Kenta came to an abrupt halt.

Aiko sat in perfect silence. The tip of his sword hovered over her nose, blade reflected in both of her eyes, before it faltered. "What the hell!" Kenta stumbled backwards, puddles rupturing under his body, limbs overcome with violent spasms. His sword clattered beside his convulsing form. Propping her spine against the tree, Aiko watched Kenta thrash on the road, narrowing her shrewd eyes. She focused her chakra into her palm, fingers illuminated by a shimmery green hue, and caressed her shoulder.

"My needles are laced with a special poison," Aiko murmured, elucidating her opponent on his dire condition, "you'll convulse until it makes contact with your heart."

Crumpled on the ground, Kenta dragged his mask through the sopping filth, trembling like a beaten dog. "Whore!" He frothed at the mouth, poison scorching his veins, and clawed at the rocks until his fingers were raw. "Iwagakure will have your wretched head!"

"Pity," Aiko murmured, "you fought so desperately for a village that has sent you on such a thankless mission."

Kenta tried to speak, but the poison gripped his heart. Death strangled his tongue, empty words rattled in his throat, and he went limp. Aiko closed her eyes, relieved, and relaxed against the trunk. "That was too close." She looked at her fizzing radio and leaned forward to retrieve it. Then, she smelled the odor of burning flesh. When she heard a gruesome rumble, Aiko stopped. Glancing at her dead opponent, she saw his flesh bubbling under his flak jacket, steam rising through the fabric, and panicked.

"Oh, _fuck!"_

His body detonated.

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**{Part IV}**

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As smoke exploded around Aiko, a pair of strong arms slipped under her legs, plucking her off the ground. "Got you!" Hana had arrived in the nick of time, grin wolfish and playful as she looked at her shocked companion. Aiko caught sight of the triplet canines, who flew after their master, water rippling in their sleek grey coats, fangs bared in friendly smiles. They barked at Aiko. Hana stifled a chuckle, jumping from branch to branch, cradling her closest friend against her chest. "Are you all right?"

"Yes." Aiko smiled as Hana darted to the ground, placing her against the trunk of a camphor laurel tree, where she continued healing the gash on her shoulder. "I'm a little tuckered out, but okay."

Kneeling beside the weary kunoichi, Hana parted her glossy lips. "Do you want any assistance?" Aiko politely declined her offer, wielding the mystical palms technique with telling ease. She lessened the severity of her shoulder wound, then moved onto her arms, ribs, and legs. Abrasions and contusions disappeared with a fluid sweep of her hand. The dogs gathered around the two women. They nudged their master who noticed that Aiko was quivering. "Hm," Hana frowned, tightening the red triangles on her cheeks, "this was a close call. You should consider joining the Medical Corps."

Aiko grimaced. "I want to join the ANBU Black Ops, but Lord Hokage declined my request. Until I earn a promotion, I want to continue working as a field medical ninja."

"I know," Hana frowned, "but, with the threats from Iwagakure, you would be safer in the Medical Corps."

"I don't want to change my position."

"_Why?"_

Skimming a sensitive bruise on her calf, Aiko winced. "I have my reasons." Before her friend could probe her for answers, Aiko sensed the presences of three other shinobi and was quick to change the subject. "Ah, I wondered if they were going to show up. All three of them are coming." Hana slanted her a concerned glance, but kept quiet as Izumo, Genma, and Kotetsu arrived.

Izumo landed first, soaked hair strapped to the sides of his face. He analyzed Aiko, frowning when he noticed the scuff marks on her cheeks, scattered along her limbs, discoloring her body. She raised her eyebrows at his scrutiny, prompting him to look away, and he collected himself with a firm cough. Genma and Kotetsu landed behind Izumo, and urged him to give a report. "The tracker ninja blew himself up," Izumo remarked, gaze returning to Aiko, "we found some of his remains and, as far as we know, Iwagakure sent him alone."

Straightening against the tree, Aiko murmured, "I suspect this was meant to be his final battle. Since he was from the Kamizuru Clan, Iwagakure probably had few qualms about sacrificing him."

Genma looked solemnly at Aiko, pivoting his toothpick across his lips. "You okay? Came damn close to losing a couple limbs."

"Yes, I'm quite all right, thank you."

With assistance from Hana, the wounded kunoichi staggered to her feet. She flicked mud off her shoes, ignoring the urgent glances from Izumo, but stiffened when she felt Kotetsu smirking at her. His black spikes blazed in the rain, shifting when he tossed his head, snorting to get her attention. "Have you considered working in a different position? I'm not sure you should be out here, all by yourself, on guard patrol—you can't seem to handle it."

"Huh," Aiko shrugged, "I can't recall a time when you fended off an ANBU-level enemy by yourself."

Keeping her friend steady, Hana leveled a glare at Kotetsu, but he spoke as he pleased. "True, but that's only because I don't attract danger like you do. This is a serious issue. You should consider the safety of the village, too."

"I am." Aiko tightened her jaw and separated from Hana. "I will find a way to deal with the situation."

"Really?" Kotetsu hummed. "You seem more confident in your abilities than Lord Hokage."

"Hey," Izumo scowled, elbowing his partner, "knock it off, Kotetsu."

Before the argument could escalate, the triplet canines barked, announcing the arrival of two other ninja, who sprinted down the road. A bad feeling swelled in the pit of her stomach when Aiko recognized Mizuki and Iruka. Sent by Hiruzen, they came to a halt in front of their comrades, too winded to speak immediately. The moment Mizuki caught his breath, he looked ready to make a smart remark, but Iruka locked eyes with Aiko, saying, "Lord Hokage has summoned you. Can you walk?"

"I can run," Aiko replied, flicking her stare from Mizuki to Iruka, "why has he summoned me?"

"You'll find out," Mizuki purred, "let's not keep him waiting."

Aiko faced the village. Through the haze, she could distinguish the outline of Hokage Mountain and her stomach knotted. Rearing to her full height, which hardly compared to the heights of her comrades, Aiko willed her nausea to subside. Hana did not disguise her worry, brow furrowing at her friend, who pretended not to be bothered by the summons. When she passed Izumo, he pulled her aside, entangling his fingers in hers for the briefest second. "Tonight," he whispered, voice barely audible in the rain, before he released her, "I'll come see you."

Lashes falling low over her stare, Aiko nodded, understanding that Izumo would not be dissuaded. The situation had become serious. Inhaling as deeply as she could, Aiko took off with Iruka and Mizuki, puddles splattering up her long slender legs.

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**{Part V}**

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When the Academy came into view, Aiko subdued her instinct to bolt. She walked behind Iruka and Mizuki, who exchanged few words. When they reached the Office of the Hokage, Iruka rapped his knuckles on the door, then walked in. They came face to face with Hiruzen, who sat enshrouded in the shadows, hollow cheeks illuminated by candlelight. His wizened face was unmoving when the trio entered his domain. He looked from Aiko and her chunin escorts to the door and, understanding his wordless command, Iruka and Mizuki departed. When the door closed, echoes reverberated off the walls and the flames snapped in half before they flickered into place. Aiko clenched her fists. Hiruzen placed one hand on an open scroll, while the other pinched the heel of his smoking pipe, then ordered the young woman forward with a nod.

Aiko unfurled her fingers, approached his desk, and spoke as calmly as she could. "You sent for me, Lord Hokage?"

Hiruzen removed his pipe, squeezing it between his thumb and forefinger, and fortified his stare with a stern tone,

_**"Aiko, I must ask you to leave the village."**_

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**{End}**


	2. Farewell

**Author's Note: **Sending a huge wave of gratitude to my reviewers, followers, and other readers who have favorited _Toxic!_ Thank you Akatsuki Wolf Rider, Anzai, Dawn Summer, Tobi-Is-Fluffy-Chan, and WhisperInTheRain for reviewing the last chapter. Your feedback encourages me to update faster, and I hope to keep you entertained while I spin my little tale.

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**Chapter 2: ****Farewell**

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**{Part I}**

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"Leave the village?" Aiko stood before the desk of the Third Hokage, feeling utterly defeated. "How much time do I have?"

Hiruzen exhaled, puffing smoke from his tobacco pipe. "Until tomorrow." Aiko touched the edge of her right eye, caging her gaze as she stared at her superior, brow furrowed in confusion. After serving the village for seven years, how could Hiruzen forsake her? Ash circulated around the confined room. Hiruzen placed his pipe on its tray and bent forward, bridging his fingers together, hands shadowing the liver spots on his cheek. "What troubles you? I expected you to jump at the opportunity to leave."

"I didn't want to leave permanently." Aiko flattened her eyes. "And, with Iwagakure—"

"Wait." Hiruzen interrupted her, raising one of his wrinkled hands, pressing the other on the scroll. "Your departure will not be permanent. I am sending you on an important mission."

Surprise knocked Aiko upside the head. "A mission?" Her stare ducked to the desk, intent on the scroll, and Hiruzen pushed the document towards her. Unfurling the fragile paper, Aiko skimmed the contents, reading in silence until she realized what the mission entailed. "The Sunagakure Medical Corps wants to hire me as an instructor." Heart brittle against her ribs, she browsed her responsibilities, expectations, and limitations. Astonishment spread across her lips. "Am I qualified?"

Hiruzen shrugged—hardly a satisfactory response—and replied, "This message arrived from Captain Yura, who witnessed your performance in the Takigakure Chunin Exams a couple weeks ago. Apparently, he was impressed by your mastery of basic medical techniques and has requested your assistance in the Sunagakure Medical Corps for the next two months." He glanced at the wispy spiral of smoke that rose from the tip of his pipe, took note of the orange glimmer within the chamber, and spoke again. "While you are in Sunagakure, I will continue my negotiations with Iwagakure."

Reminded of her unstable situation, Aiko frowned. "Will Sunagakure allow an outsider, especially a high risk ninja like me, into their village?" She rolled up the scroll and handed it back to Hiruzen. "What if Iwagakure targets Sunagakure after I leave Konoha?"

Hiruzen lifted his palm, refusing the scroll. "Unlikely. Yura has insisted that he will supervise you."

Aiko tilted her head, bangs skimming her eyebrows, mouth askew with skepticism. "He will?"

Hiruzen nodded. "He is renowned as an honorable and powerful shinobi, and should be able to keep you out of trouble."

Although she doubted that anyone had that ability, Aiko relented. She slipped the scroll into her pouch, accepting her mission, and replied, "Very well. I leave in the morning, then?" Hiruzen nodded. Walking towards the door, Aiko stopped when her shoes touched the threshold, ponytail leaping across her spine as she glanced over her shoulder. Words swelled in her throat, but an abrupt surge of guilt paralyzed her tongue.

Hiruzen noticed her hesitation. "Rest tonight and do not worry about the issue with Iwagakure. As the Third Hokage of this village, I have the power to handle it."

Fingers closing around the cold handle, Aiko murmured, "Of course."

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**{Part II}**

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She knew that she would never see Hiruzen Sarutobi again.

As soon as she entered the unlit Academy halls, a painful throb erupted in her left eye. Aiko cringed. She clasped her palm over her eye, lips contorted in pain, and curled against the cool stone wall. She listened to the repetitive patter of raindrops on the rooftop and wondered if she would ever return to Konohagakure after she finished her mission. The pouch attached to her lower back felt heavier with the scroll, which burdened her conscience.

Hiruzen had gone to great lengths to ensure her safety, but she was running out of time.

Aiko shut her eyes. "Damn it."

When the pain subsided, Aiko peeked into the moonlit classrooms. The desks glimmered with a blue sheen and Aiko remembered when she occupied those benches. Crammed into a corner, pens neatly arranged, she had once recited the rules of shinobi conduct in unison with her peers.

However, in the depths of her heart, she did not embrace the shinobi philosophies as truths.

Remembering the earlier conversation between her colleagues, her lips meshed into a bitter smile. Iruka had identified her greatest shortcoming, her uncompromising independence, but he misunderstood her motivations. She needed to be independent. Cradling her elbows in her hands, Aiko wondered if she would be missed by her comrades. Iruka, Mizuki, and Kotetsu would be delighted by her departure. Though he would never admit it, Hiruzen probably would not mind, either. Aiko supposed that Hana and Izumo, her closest friends, would—

Her thoughts derailed.

She had forgotten about Izumo.

Tightening her ponytail, Aiko sprung for the exit.

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**{Part III}**

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At least the rain had stopped.

Returning to her apartment from her summons, Aiko shut her door and, as she slung her gear onto the kitchen table, heard a knock behind her. She untied her ponytail and combed apart the damp strands of hair with her fingers. Smoothing out her rumpled dress, she pulled on the handle. Izumo stood in the corridor, bags hanging under his eyes, shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Aiko welcomed him inside. "I had forgotten that you were coming over."

Izumo shrugged. "Did Lord Hokage keep you for a while?" He took a seat in her kitchen, and glanced at the tabletop where Aiko had strewn her needles, bandages, and vials. She puttered on the opposite side of the room, around the counter. Splashing water into an empty kettle, Aiko placed it on the stove, and tweaked a knob; the burner coughed up a blaze. Izumo urged her to speak. "What did he decide?"

Back turned to him, Aiko reached for the tea in her cabinet, propped on tiptoes. "He's sending me on a mission to Sunagakure for two months."

Izumo raised his eyebrows. "Two months? What does he want you to do?"

Aiko took out a pair of empty mugs. "I'll be working for the Sunagakure Medical Corps."

Izumo frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea." Surprised by his negative response, Aiko leaned against the counter, folding her arms over her chest, expecting an explanation. Planting his elbow on the table, Izumo knocked aside a stack of senbon needles, which rolled into the bandages and orange vials, and snapped open his palms. "Are you accepting this mission so you can rifle through the archives in Sunagakure?"

The kettle simmered, and Aiko fiddled with the stove knob. "Perhaps." She hooked his attention with a wink. "You shouldn't worry so much."

"I have plenty of reasons to worry," Izumo muttered. "Remember what happened when you infiltrated the archives here a couple years ago?"

Aiko recalled the incident with little difficulty. Breaking the rules established by the elders, who prohibited her from reading the clan records, she snuck into the private Konohagakure Archives to conduct her private research. For almost half a year, Aiko raided the locked cabinets and perused the bookshelves where loose papers had been feverishly crammed into the cracks, and studied forbidden scrolls until Iruka caught her. She mused, "After that hard-ass turned me in, I spent days with the interrogation force, but it wasn't too bad."

"Yeah, because they let you off easy." Izumo drummed his fingers on the table. "You need to be more careful."

Water boiled and the kettle whistled, spewing whiffs of steam from under the cover, which quaked over the volcanic liquid. Aiko turned off the stove. "I'll be fine." She poured molten water into each of the mugs, tea bags floating to the surface, and brought the steaming drinks to the table. Sitting across from Izumo, who peered at her with a hard stare, Aiko waved her hand. "Stop looking at me like that. No one will catch me."

Pushing aside his drink, Izumo said, "You need to take your situation more seriously. I understand that you like to research, and you think your trespassing is harmless, but you are going to get into trouble." Testing the temperature of her tea, Aiko cheeped when it seared her tongue. Izumo gave her a withering glance. "The ninja in Sunagakure are far stricter than us. Risking your safety for the sake of curiosity is foolish."

Aiko put aside her tea and peeled off her purple gloves. "I'm conducting research to keep myself safe."

Narrowing his eyes, Izumo tightened his jaw, straining the strip of fabric on his chin. "Safe from _what?" _Aiko went silent at his sharp tone. Softening his voice to a gentle murmur, Izumo insisted that he wanted to know, and the young woman reclined in her chair. After a moment of solemn contemplation, Aiko tapped her fingernails against her cheekbones, drawing his attention to her eyes. The gesture confused Izumo. He asked, "Iwagakure?"

"Not quite," Aiko murmured, tangled hair framing her face. "I'm going to lose my eyesight."

"With the Ketsuekigan," Izumo felt his heart sink, "or in general?"

Crossing one leg over the other, Aiko replied, "Both. As far as I know, Iwagakure has no cure for this degenerative condition. Their attention to the issue has been," she paused, considering the most appropriate word, "lacking. I've studied the ocular kekkai genkai here, the Sharingan and Byakugan, and neither of them seems to have the same dangers as the Ketsuekigan. I've scoured medical texts, as well, and none of them contain any insightful records on the disease, whatever it might be." Breathing in as deeply as she could, Aiko concluded, "I must leave Konohagakure to conduct my research."

Izumo knotted his fingers in his hair. "How much time do you have left?"

"Given the frequency and intensity of my pain," Aiko mused, "probably a few years before the symptoms become devastating."

Crumpling his mouth into a frown, Izumo demanded, "Why haven't you told anyone? I'm sure that Hana would have assisted you with the research, gone through the private archives to keep you out of trouble. We have a strong Medical Corps, too. I doubt they would have turned you away." He studied her expression, which remained stoic under the dim kitchen light. Aiko cupped her warm mug, sipped at the peppermint tea, and shrugged. "Come on," Izumo reached across the table, placed his calloused hands against hers, wrapping his fingers around her knuckles, "when you return, let us help you, all right?"

Touched by the kind gesture, Aiko smiled. "We'll see." Izumo leveled her composure with a stern look, and she broke into a laugh. "You know," she pulled her fingers out of his grasp and ran her knuckles under her eyes, "I will miss you, Izumo."

Standing, legs of his chair scraping across the floor, Izumo shook his head. "When you return, we'll have to make up for two months of lost time." He slipped his finger under her chin, tilting up her gaze, and Aiko glanced away. Chasing her flirtatious eyes, Izumo knelt in front of the flighty young woman, chuckling at her antics. "Don't be difficult," he murmured, voice gravelly and earnest, "show me how much you're going to miss me."

He did not have to ask twice.

Grabbing the collar of his vest, Aiko yanked Izumo between her knees. His taunting mouth collided with her lips, which curled into a smile, and her touches ran unchecked through his hair. He groaned, palms sliding up her thighs, under the slits of her dress. Cradling his face in her hands, Aiko studied the contours of his lips with hers, kissing him until his taste intoxicated her. Her mind spun out of control. Thrown off balance, she gripped his shoulders for stability. Izumo clutched her close, and her fingers tumbled to his chest.

Hands weighing against his heart, Aiko withdrew. "There," she whispered, giving him a playful, affectionate shove, "now, off you go."

"Very well." Izumo rose from his stooped position. "I'll see you soon."

When he crossed the kitchen and his fingers brushed the door handle, a twinge of loneliness gripped Aiko. The feeling only worsened as Izumo took a final look at her, lowering his eyelids and lifting his chin, offering an unspoken farewell. Unable to form a coherent sentence, Aiko unfurled her fingers in front of her face like playing cards, veiling the sorrow in her smile, and waved. Izumo did not detect her despair, and departed.

Tugging her knees against her erratic heart, Aiko glanced at his untouched tea, where the steam had withered into a thin film.

**.**

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**{Part IV}**

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**.**

Aiko did not intend to see Izumo again.

Between packing, cleaning, and undressing, Aiko had little time to rest. She lay sprawled on her back, hardly conscious of the world, as the sun crept over violet hilltops. The refreshing scent of wet earth filtered through the crack in her window, rousing her from a vague dream, and she rolled onto her side. Aiko admired the morning dew that glistened in the grass and on the roads. Slinging her legs out of bed, she pulled on a fresh dress and vest, hopped into her purple sandals, and heaved her backpack over her shoulders.

With her mission scroll in hand, Aiko headed toward the Konohagakure border.

When she reached the gate, however, a familiar voice called out to her. "Aiko!" She turned around. Genma jogged over to her, backpack jostled by his movements, bottom of his bandanna headband lined with sweat. He stopped beside the curious young woman, explaining, "Lord Hokage sent me to escort you partway. My mission route diverges from yours a few miles before you reach Hiroshi Bridge where you plan to meet Captain Yura."

Aiko did not mind his company, nodding at the sentries when she departed with Genma, whose hand ricocheted off his brow. "At least I'll know that I'm heading the right way. Where are you going?"

"Takigakure," Genma replied, toying with the toothpick under his tongue, "not looking forward to it."

Traveling along the forested path, Aiko and Genma chatted about their missions. While he only wanted to go home, she could not wait to get away from Konohagakure. Preferring to keep quiet at various points in the conversation, Aiko concealed her feelings behind a cool front. She thought often of Izumo, conscience scorched with guilt, wishing that their situation was different. Skipping over a mud puddle, Aiko looked at Genma when he fanned his hand in her face.

"Hey, did you sleep at all? Your eyes look like road maps."

"Just had a long night," Aiko replied, "and I wanted to make sure my apartment was spotless before I left for the next couple months."

Genma nodded and, for a while, they hiked without speaking. Dodging the roots that snaked throughout the ground, Aiko focused on her plans. Becoming independent from her village would be difficult, but she doubted that Konohagakure would miss a lowly chunin like her. The soles of her sandals grinded across a rock, kicking it off the high embankment, into the roaring waters of a river below the path. Upon hearing the splash, Genma looked at Aiko.

"Are you nervous about going to Sunagakure?"

"Somewhat. I've never been to a desert before and, to be honest, I'm not terribly interested in that kind of landscape."

Hands behind his head, Genma murmured, "Can't say I blame you. There's no place like home." They reached an intersection where signs directed ninja to outposts across the country. Skimming the symbols on the old wooden post, Genma sighed. "This is where we split up. You take a left and keep going east until you reach Hiroshi Bridge." The kunoichi stepped onto her section of the road, strolling a few paces down the path. Genma watched her, eyes heavily lidded and wary, then bid her goodbye. "Keep your chin up," he murmured, turning onto his path, "and, if you need anything, give us a holler." Genma launched himself down the road.

When she wheeled around to return the sentiment, Aiko discovered that she was alone, and sighed.

**.**

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**{Part V}**

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**.**

Gripping the straps on her backpack, the chunin traveled on her own, remembering the night she had stumbled into Konohagakure. She recalled the blood on her clammy palms, which she clutched against her stomach, covering a deep, violent gash. Even with her intensive medical training, the young teenager could not lessen the bleeding. Her legs wobbled under a terrible burden. Delirious from the pain, visions of her previous imprisonment flashed through her mind, and she collapsed. Stricken, she lay on the road, remembering how she had been trapped in the belly of a village that had swallowed her whole. She had rotted in its bowels, locked inside the underground laboratories, desperate for liberation.

Before she could die, however, a member of the ANBU Black Ops had found her. He stood over her lifeless body. Tribal swirls marked his mask, shock of silver hair bursting out from behind his porcelain cover, and he touched her cheek with his frigid gloved hands. Slipping his fingers onto her neck, he had checked her pulse, lifted her off the cold ground, and carried her to the hospital.

Although she was thankful for the assistance she received in Konohagakure, Aiko would escape.

Securing her independence was imperative but, if she became too wounded to protect herself, she would be unable to complete her ambitions. She knew that she needed to be careful. Focusing on the hard path that lay sprawled before her, Aiko peered at the pebbles, which shrank into dirt and rolled into hard grains of sand, developing into the desert landscape that she had no desire to see. She pondered her circumstances for many lonely miles. When she arrived at the outskirts of the forest, the trees had petered off into shrubs, opening into a dusty echoing canyon.

No longer protected by the cool shade of the trees, Aiko stood in a furnace, surrounded by orange rock. Skin prickling from the intense heat, she caught sight of her meeting spot. Hiroshi Bridge curved over the canyon, stretching across the broad split in the earth, where a river once coursed, into the dry endless desert. Aiko approached the crimson bridge, feet scraping a withered patch of grass, and her spirits plummeted. The hostility of the landscape would only intensify. Shielding her gaze with her hand, she looked for Captain Yura, expecting him to be nearby.

Her instincts heightened when she noticed a distant figure.

A man in billowing khaki robes stood on Hiroshi Bridge, towering over the posts. Despite his stiff posture, his limbs were long and willowy. His goatee bristled in the breeze, ebony hair flapping over his right eye, which had sunken deep into its socket. Tentative, Aiko approached the tall ninja, concerned for his health. She raised a hand and the man tensed. His hollow cheeks swelled with a greeting, tone quiet and dismal. "Aiko, I presume?"

"Yes. Are you Captain Yura?"

"Indeed."

He did not extend a hand. Instead, he assessed Aiko with his restless stare, ruthless in his pursuit of what the chunin perceived to be either imperfection or disloyalty. She felt uncomfortable, but his forbidding expression forced her into silence. Aiko looked at the bridge. Her blood ran cold when she detected another shinobi, whose murderous intent was tangible from where she stood. Aiko turned to warn Yura. "Captain, do you sense-"

Senbon needles hurtled from the opposite end of the bridge.

They struck the renowned sand ninja in his throat.

Stumbling backwards to regain his balance, Yura scowled. Then, he coughed, and fell to his knees, body gripped with a violent convulsion. Understanding the situation, Aiko knelt beside him, placing her fingers in front of her lips. "Those were poisoned." She closed her eyes and, when she reopened them, activated the Ketsuekigan. Her irises were light purple, black pupils ringed with five yellow orbs, which revolved as she studied the wound. "The poison has entered your bloodstream," Aiko commented, scrutinizing him with her kaleidoscope eyes. "Shall I remove it?"

Yura nodded. Aiko plucked out the needles, movements precise and indiscernible, as if she was removing invisible threads from his skin. When he craned his neck, her left hand glowed and she brushed her palm over his injury. From her perspective, the poison resembled black splotches, blemishes in the streams of blood, which appeared blue through her Ketsuekigan lenses. Extracting the toxins with little difficulty, Aiko guided them to the opening of the wound, allowing the poison to splatter on the ground. Yura reeled. Aiko steadied him, concern evident in the creases of her eyes, tone urgent.

"Can you stand, Captain?"

A sickening crunch alerted Aiko to the arrival of their enemy. She whirled around, dark lashes skimming her glare, and discovered a hunched over figure on the bridge. Red clouds rippled on his black cloak. From under the stocks of his bamboo hat, the man peered with enough venom to drop even the most seasoned ninja to the ground. Although his body shape resembled a beetle, his head was human, and he made the young chunin shiver. Flipping open her pouch, Aiko lined her knuckles with senbon, and confronted her opponent. "You are?"

In a brusque voice, the man replied, "Sasori of the Red Sand."

"A pleasure," Aiko remarked, taking a protective stance in front of Yura, "though, your name doesn't ring a bell."

Encased within the shell of Hiruko, the puppeteer hissed, "I'm not surprised that a kid like you doesn't know me." Sasori clanked forward, dragging his burdensome form off the bridge, and glared at the defensive girl. The intensity of his look spurred Yura into action. The captain jumped to his feet and caged Aiko in a tight headlock, bending her forward so fast that her spine cracked. Panic burst through her brain, and she struggled, releasing her needles, attempting to nail Yura with her elbow. He hooked his foot around her ankle.

Aiko crashed hard on her knees, frightened and outraged, but did not allow a single tremble to interrupt her voice. She lifted her chin, glowering at Sasori. "Were you sent by Iwagakure?"

"I don't run errands for worthless villages," Sasori grunted, "I have come for you."

The ninja shuffled nearer, whites of his eyes wide and crazed, form too bizarre to behold. Terror chilled Aiko to her core, but she remained courageous. "What do you want with me? Sunagakure sent for me, and this," she jerked angrily at Yura, who did not loosen his resolute grip, "is not part of the mission I accepted."

Sasori wished he could rub his temples. "You foolish child, _I _sent for you."

If this was a sick joke, Aiko had missed the punchline. _"You?" _She crinkled her nose, unleashing her tongue with a fierce snarl. "What do you want?"

Sasori stopped a handful of feet away from her. Although he cared little for her attitude, her pluck amused him. Bending forward to inspect the kunoichi, he studied the unflinching edge of her jaw and the muscles that hardened with anger in her lithe body. Though she probably did not fare well in physical combat, Sasori assumed she was adept as a medical ninja, good at dodging attacks and making subtle advances, and this suited his purposes.

"I have a proposition for you to consider," Sasori murmured, "though, you _will_ accept it."

"We'll see." Aiko flexed her arms, infuriated with Yura, who remained impassive during the exchange. "Name your terms."

Sasori raised his petrifying head, reedy hair rippling up his scalp, and mastered her attention with a blunt demand, "Swear your loyalty to me and work as my informant. If you accept my terms…

_**"****I will give you the independence that you so desperately desire."**_

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**{End}**


	3. Marked

**Author's Note:** Here is the third chapter of _Toxic_, which I have revised on June 17. Thank you to all my readers who have followed and favorited this story, and to my reviewers: Akatsuki Wolf Rider, Sululululu1, Dawn Summer, and hasadada6. Your feedback is immensely appreciated! Akatsuki Wolf Rider, a special thanks to you for reviewing the original third chapter.

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**Chapter 3: Marked**

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**{Part I}**

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"I will give you the independence you so desperately desire."

Aiko stopped fighting against Yura. Her fright and outrage vanished, and were replaced by surprise. She looked up at Sasori. "My independence?" Although his offer had stunned her into silence, her mind cranked into overdrive. Working as an informant would allow her to infiltrate multiple villages and their archives. She could research eye conditions as much as she wanted and find a cure for the Ketsuekigan before her sight deteriorated.

Her eagerness immediately put her on guard, however, and Aiko lowered her eyes.

Could she forsake her comrades so easily? Her lips formed a grim, unflinching line. Her disloyalty worried her less than the intentions of the shinobi who stood before her, powerful and imposing, able to discern her motives. How did Sasori know about what she wanted? Clearly, he had already hired an adept informant. Glaring at his grotesque face, her enthusiasm cooled into suspicion. Aiko refused to be manipulated by this man.

Sasori sensed her resilience. "As part of my offer, I'll even be kind enough to fake your death, to get Iwagakure off your back." His voice sharpened to a threatening point. "_But you'll get nothing more, girl."_

His tone had already worn thin, indicating a temperamental personality, and Aiko stiffened. She was at his mercy, and Sasori would not wait for her answer. She needed to make a quick decision. Yura tightened his headlock and forced the bottom of his hand into her spine, grinding his bone against hers. Aiko bowed forward. The sun arced over the desert, bearing down on her bent form, which had little will left to fight. Whether she liked it or not, she was running out of time.

Aiko locked eyes with Sasori. "What are my responsibilities, then?"

Sasori replied, "I want you to find someone for me." He assessed her through the stare of Hiruko, which gnashed its teeth, human flesh stretched to its limits. "And, as long as you obey my commands, I couldn't care less about what else you do."

Aiko nodded, fidgeting in the arms of her captor, who refused to loosen his grasp. "Give me a time frame—number of years—that you'll employ me."

"Two to four."

Under the shadows of her wary eyelashes, Aiko inquired, "What happens when you end my employment?" Her stare, violet and restless, flickered with unabashed, morbid curiosity. "Will you try to kill me?"

Sasori crinkled his nose. Her curiosities were getting on his nerves. "When I end your employment, you are no longer obligated to serve me—simple as that. However," he craned his cruel head, bloodshot eyes bulging in their sockets, "if you run your mouth about me or my organization, you will pay _dearly_." Aiko tensed. Sasori unfurled his poisoned scorpion tail against the bridge, impatience rising as they deliberated in the blistering desert inferno.

Despite the circumstances, Aiko was composed. If she played her cards right, she knew that she could escape.

Veiling her intentions with heavy eyelids, Aiko murmured, "Understood."

Sasori jerked the head of Hiruko at Yura, signaling that the Sunagakure captain should release Aiko, and wheeled Hiruko toward the bridge. Yura obeyed his command, and Aiko haughtily tore away from his grasp. Grateful to get off her knees, which had been scraped raw on the rough sand, the kunoichi stood. She deactivated her Ketsuekigan with a single hand sign. The marks receded into her pupils, irises returning to their natural green color, and she blinked until her sight returned to normal.

Lifting her backpack off the ground, Aiko trailed after Sasori and Yura, and realized that she was probably in trouble.

She really should have listened to Izumo.

**.**

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**{Part II}**

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When night befell the travelers, they had reached a crossroads.

Aiko remained behind the two men who stopped at the intersection. Desert winds swirled, and wild coyotes howled into the vortex of stars. Yura tightened his cloak, which flapped over his gaunt body, and flicked his glittering black eyes at Aiko. Although she felt the weight of his stare, she did not dignify it with a glance or spoken response. Yura suspected that the kunoichi had no intentions of aligning herself with Sasori, and this concerned him. Before departing, he dropped a surreptitious murmur to his superior. "Lord Sasori, may I have a word with you?"

Sasori responded irritably. "What is it?"

Yura straightened his spine, upright and stern while he conveyed his thoughts. "I can find you a better subordinate. An obedient one. Besides," he lowered his voice, "we cannot trust the person who told you about her, and finding _that _man is—"

Sasori twitched, and the slight movement tightened the brow of Hiruko, which menaced Yura with a hostile glower. "You're wasting my time. My partner is waiting for me, and I hate making people wait. Girl!" Sasori barked at Aiko. She begrudgingly approached him, cringing when she neared his grotesque face; he was uglier than sin. She masked her distaste with indifference. Sasori jerked the head of Hiruko in her direction. "Relinquish your headband."

Aiko reached into her backpack and withdrew her forehead protector, folding the black fabric under the untarnished silver plate; she had never worn it in battle.

Yura snatched the headband from her hands.

Sasori relayed his final instructions. "Attach that headband to a message for the Hokage. As far as he's concerned, Aiko is dead."

Bitter and troubled, Yura bowed. "It will be done, Lord Sasori." When the Sunagakure captain turned onto a different road, Aiko goaded him with a tilt of her delicate eyebrows. His expression darkened, and Aiko contented herself with his irritation. Taking her place beside Sasori, she no longer looked at the Sunagakure captain. Yura heard the howl of the wild coyotes again and peered across the sloping landscape, stalking quietly down the path. He clenched his teeth.

When he turned back to view the crossroads, Sasori and Aiko had vanished.

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**{Part III}**

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Maneuvering his hunchback body across the bruised dunes, Sasori pulled his strings in silence. He was intent on meeting Deidara before dawn. The clouds that had darkened the sky were starting to disperse, and the puppeteer glanced at his companion. After her bravado on the bridge, Sasori had expected Aiko to be more talkative. Instead, she focused on their path, gaze stretched across the desert, limbs fueled by her determination to reach their destination. Sasori pulled forward to match her energetic gait.

Moonlight filled his wide furrow and trickled into her footprints. Despite her treacherous intentions, Aiko would not disobey Sasori yet. Escaping successfully would require patience. She stole a furtive peek at her superior. Neither the position of his head nor his rigid expression had changed.

Not even a nearby explosion disturbed his inflexible features.

Bright enough to eclipse the sunrise, a flash of light snapped across the horizon, blinding Aiko for a moment. She stopped dead in her tracks. When a rumble shook the desert, her ears directed her eyes. Their road intersected with an area that had erupted into snarling orange flames. Sasori tensed, whites of his eyes widening, pupils minimized to pinpoints. His steely voice had lowered to a livid monotone. "Keep moving."

Unbalanced by the powerful quake, Aiko quickened her pace, but paled when she realized where they were headed.

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**{Part IV}**

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Night still darkened the sky when Sasori and his subordinate reached the area that had exploded. Embers glistened around the remains of a charred ruin, which continued to collapse under a restless, crackling fire. Aiko reached into her holster. She withdrew her poisoned needles and a pill, which she popped between her teeth. Following Sasori through the wreckage, cautious about worsening his temper, she murmured, "What happened here?"

Sasori hissed, "That blasted Deidara! He blew the laboratory to smithereens."

Aiko intended to reply, but a gust rammed into her back and blew the words away from her lips. Her loose hairs curled into ringlets around her neck as she whirled around, startled by the strong wind, and saw a bird hovering overhead. A young man stood on its back. He wore the same cloak as Sasori, red clouds billowing in the fiery breeze, and the top of his blond half-ponytail rippled like a flag. He spoke from his position with unrelenting arrogance.

"You're late! What gives?"

His indignant tone made Sasori bristle. "I told you to _wait _for me, Deidara."

The young man leapt onto the remnants of a cement foundation, and gray smoke engulfed his bird. "I did wait," Deidara insisted, "but you took too long. I already completed this mission alone, hm. The captives are down there."

Sasori followed the offhand remark to the only ruin that remained standing. The doors had been barred shut from the outside. His irritation festered like a sore within Hiruko as he headed toward the ruin. Aiko stayed behind with Deidara. He studied her with an unsettling smirk. Black liner rimmed his slanted blue eyes, which gleamed with dangerous intentions when he stepped towards her. Aiko tensed and lifted her needles. Undeterred by her threat, Deidara approached her with an outstretched hand. "What's the matter?"

Aiko dug her foot into the sand, and flung one of her poisoned needles at him, sharpening her voice. "Keep your distance!"

Deidara dodged the attack and shot her a roguish glance. "You must be Aiko, hm?"

"Yes."

"I'm Deidara."

"One of his informants?"

Deidara laughed, cynical edge creeping into his tone. "As if I would ever work for someone like _that_, hm. I'm his part—"

"_Traitor!"_

Cutting through the cool night air, a scalpel hurtled at Aiko. She parried the medical instrument with her needles, metal clanging on metal, and the scalpel fell into the sand. A man dressed in a ripped laboratory coat sprung at her._"You traitor!"_ He roared, brandishing a bloodied mallet. The torn hem of his white coat rippled like a wave, shadowing his feet, and grime darkened his infuriated face as he lunged at the young woman. Aiko performed a hasty substitution, and her form burst into a mud puddle when his mallet struck her forehead.

Her mind raced with her movements.

He had called her a _traitor._

Bracing her weight against a pile of rubble, Aiko seized another handful of needles, but Deidara intervened. He placed his fingers in front of his smirk. The man in the laboratory coat blanched when he looked down. A clay spider had latched onto his calf. Deidara eyed the scientist with cruel amusement. "Katsu!" The man shrieked as his leg exploded. Flesh shrapnel was flung across the road. Blood splattered onto the ground, speckled with bits of bone, and Deidara snorted at the gore. "Serves him right."

Emerging from behind the bomber, Aiko looked at the gruesome wound sustained by her attacker. His fingers shook as he tried to staunch the bleeding, shattered bone visible, and he howled in agony when the wound only widened. He would never be able to retrieve the rest of his leg. Folding her arms across her chest, Aiko nodded at Deidara. "You make bombs?

"Ha," Deidara pushed the heel of his hand through his thick bangs and lifted his chin, appraising Aiko with a lofty stare, "all my techniques are works of art, hm."

Confused by his confident assertion, Aiko did not reply.

A low and sinister voice responded to him instead. "Those pyrotechnics of yours, _art?"_ Sasori reappeared with three scientists leashed to his tail. His scornful rebuke was cutting enough to make Aiko cringe. "Apparently, Deidara, one of us doesn't understand what true art is." His tone escalated to a snarl when he saw the final scientist on the road. "That same person also doesn't understand what a completed mission is!"

Accustomed to his partner's tantrums, Deidara scoffed. "My man, your judgmental attitude is so unbecoming of an artist, hm."

**.**

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**{Part V}**

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Walking away from the demolished ruin, Deidara and Aiko led Sasori, who had strung the captive scientists to his curled scorpion tail. The miserable scientists, bitter and barely conscious, fumbled through the sand. Aiko glared at the scientist who had attacked her. Sasori had allowed him to heal his leg, and that man leaned on a fellow scientist as he hobbled forward, digging his fingernails into his raw stump. He looked at Aiko with an irrepressible scowl, which did not break when he stumbled forward, the word _traitor _fresh on his lips.

The sun began to rise in the distance, scorching the stars out of the black night sky, and Deidara glanced over his shoulder at Aiko. Devilish intentions darkened his blue eyes. "Are you bothered by heights? Hm?"

"Not particularly," her voice was soft but deliberate, "why do you ask?"

Deidara reached into the pouch attached to his hip, retrieved a handful of clay, and grinded his fingers against his palm. Aiko watched, curious and intrigued, as he tossed a bird into the air. He made a hand sign in front of his mouth and it enlarged. Flapping its wings, the bird generated a hefty gust. Deidara inhaled, blond hair swirling into a hurricane. He could already taste the wind on his tongue. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He faced Aiko. "Tell me, what do you think of my art?"

"Impressive," Aiko breathed, combing her bangs into place with her fingers.

Deidara leapt onto the bird, cloak swelling behind his heels, and the aircraft rocked forward. He passed Aiko an expectant look. She glanced at Sasori. He ignored her, too busy muttering irritably under his breath, so Aiko followed Deidara onto the back of the bird. When her feet landed on the malleable but firm surface, Deidara steadied her. Hands pressing into her hips, he leaned over her shoulder to murmur in her ear.

"I'll show you _impressive_."

With a snap of his fingers, the bird ascended. Aiko cheeped. Breezes flipped up her skirt as they soared higher.

Deidara laughed, propelling the aircraft forward. "Have faith in me, hm!"

Their speed increased. Aiko regained her composure as quickly as she could, and scooted away from Deidara. Her heartbeats accelerated when the rising sun caught her eye. The most stunning and powerful star vanquished the night in a single upwards stroke. Protecting her eyes with her arm, Aiko peered across the golden desert. She heard Deidara sigh, no doubt enamored with the clash of purple and red hues, the streaks of colors that brightened the horizon. Aiko could not imagine a more brilliant or breathtaking sight, and as the wild coyotes yowled, she glanced at her smug companion.

"What did I tell you, hm?" Deidara steered the bird toward the ground, leaving the sunrise behind.

"I'm impressed." Aiko looked at the figures trudging across the ground and, thankful to be spared the trouble of walking, asked, "So, where are we going?"

Crouching on the back of his bird, Deidara replied, "To the Land of Rivers. Of course, we have a safe house for Akatsuki members, but you'll be staying in separate accommodations."

Ears pricked to the opportunity, Aiko felt her breath shallow. She could not navigate the godforsaken desert on her own, but she could easily get around the Land of Rivers and escape into Konohagakure. The thought of seeing Izumo and Hana again made her tremble. If she proved her worth by escaping from Sasori, the Third Hokage might be impressed enough to assign her to missions outside the village. Her mind brimmed with hopeful ideas, but a harsh chuckle interrupted her thoughts.

Aiko fell under the shadow of Deidara.

He suddenly towered over her.

"I'm not sure what my man Sasori is planning to do with you. But we can't have you running off, can we?"

Caught off guard, Aiko leapt to her feet, but Deidara tackled her. They collapsed into a thrashing heap. Aiko panicked when the precarious aircraft rocked. Entangling his legs with hers, Deidara restrained one of her arms, flattening it against her throat to choke her, and pinned her other arm onto the back of the bird. "Hold still, hm!" Aiko elbowed his chin as hard as she could, rammed her heel into his shin, and Deidara fought to subdue her under his weight. Withdrawing a crinkled piece of paper from his cloak, he slapped it onto the inside of her wrist, and performed a rapid series of hand signs.

A flame of energy snaked through her nerves, and Aiko seized. "That fucking _hurts!" _She wrenched away her arm and heaved Deidara off her back. He landed on his knees. Too flabbergasted to speak, Aiko clutched her wrist. Embedded into her pale flesh, a crimson scorpion throbbed in tandem with the pulse of her blood, its stinger poised at the tip of the veins on the inside of her wrist. It was a sealing mark. Aiko glared venomously at Deidara when he stood, running his knuckles under his chin, a bruise swelling on his jawbone. "You _tricked _me," she hissed.

"Now I know why Sasori wanted me to do it instead, hm!" Deidara muttered, his trademark smirk resurfacing. "You have some nerve, attacking me on this bird."

Aiko gripped her crumpled dress. "You started it."

Deidara dismissed her with a flippant wave of his hand. "Technicalities! My mission is complete now, hm."

Aiko went silent, outraged by his conceit, and tore her watering eyes away. Deidara made a snide remark, but she ignored him. The emotions that surged in her heart had vanished, replaced with a cold emptiness, and she grieved over her lost opportunity. She would have revenge on Deidara. When they reached the Land of Rivers and parted ways at the safe house, Aiko slipped off the bird without a word. She reported to Sasori before she departed, icily cool and composed, resigned to her current fate.

Clanking across the road, Sasori arrested Aiko with a glare. "Interrogations start at sundown tomorrow. Make sure you don't keep me waiting."

Aiko nodded.

Deidara tipped his hand against his forehead, attempting to infuriate her further, but Aiko was already walking away.

_**"****I'll see you tomorrow, hm."**_

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**{End}**


	4. Torture

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all of your support! I send my sincerest gratitude to JigokuShoujosRevenge, Caeleste, Guest, camomelody911, BloodyCamellia, Koneko, Tobi-Is-Fluffy-Chan, and Fiore12 for your reviews.

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**Chapter 4: Torture**

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**{Part I}**

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The sun hunkered down behind the mountains, and Aiko approached the safe house where Sasori and Deidara had taken up residence. She cautiously glanced over her shoulder, ascertaining that no one from town had followed her, and slipped into the shadows of the doorway. Sasori had told her that she would assist him with interrogations. Aiko closed her eyes. Throughout the day, she had attempted to sleep on her side, barely conscious, guts braided into unbearable knots. Torture and information extraction had not been part of her duties as a chunin in Konohagakure.

Doubting whether she would be anything but a nuisance, Aiko rapped her knuckles against the door.

It burst open.

Deidara stalked out of the house. Cramming his hand into the pouch of clay that hung from his narrow hips, blond hair limp on his shoulders, black liner smeared under his eyes, he stopped when he noticed the young woman. His disgruntled appearance made Aiko flinch backwards in disgust. Deidara looked unpleasantly surprised to see her, as well, and tugged his collar against his cheekbones. "Sasori is downstairs, in the basement, hm," Deidara muttered. "You better not keep him waiting."

Aiko sniffed, catching the faint scent of alcohol, and crinkled her nose. "Did you two have a long night together?"

Deidara stopped, annoyance betrayed by his strident tone. "Not as long as your night with him will be."

Careful not to take her eyes off him, Aiko gripped the door handle. "As long as I look human when I finish, I should be fine." She tugged open the door and crossed the threshold. Although she expected the safe house walls to be lined with the bodies of tortured souls, the front room was ordinary. Yellow, orange, and pink shapes flew in through the window and intersected on the hardwood paneled floors, dancing like fairy orbs, spurred on by the colorful sunset. Golden streaks flitted into her green eyes as Aiko discovered and approached a set of stairs that went into the basement. She gripped the railing.

Wooden steps creaked under her weight, raising her hackles, and Aiko kept her senses keen. A wail echoed through the cold depths of the stairwell.

"I already told you, I don't know when he's coming back, so leave me alone!"

"You really think I'll let you off so easily?"

Candlelight flickered from within the basement, casting a horde of shadows onto the toes of the eavesdropper, who crept nearer the crack in the door. Strange tools and gadgets had been separated into categories on the work benches. Above, cadavers dangled like animal pelts, but they did not belong to the scientists. Upon closer inspection, Aiko located three of the four captives, wedged into the far end of the room, drugged enough that they lay unconscious atop one another, a row of human dominoes.

The fourth scientist had been strapped to an operating table. Pants interspersed his desperate pleas, which fell on deaf ears. Sasori craned his scorpion tail over the head of the captive, poison beading on the tip, a swish away from envenoming his victim.

The scientist flinched when the weapon neared him.

"My patience has worn thin," Sasori threatened, "and your life hangs on a thread."

"Fine! I'll tell you about him—I'll tell you everything, if you'll let me—_arghhh!" _

The scientist convulsed, skin ashen under the harsh light, and vomited onto the floor. His eyes rolled under their lids. Teeth and shoulders clenched with annoyance, Sasori hissed. His head swiveled toward the door, then snapped to the incapacitated scientist, whose chest heaved. He glowered at the captives lined against the wall. Torture was a delicate art, and it had taken him an entire day to make this pest cooperative. His spidery hands wove signs under his cloak. "Where is that stupid woman? I told her not to keep me waiting!"

Aiko realized that was her cue. Her green eyes darted to the interrogator, and she leapt to her feet—but she was too late. The scorpion on her wrist clenched. Pain fired like a bullet into her peripheral nervous system, blasting each of her nerves, blowing straight through her cerebellum. Stricken, Aiko reeled forward, but recovered when her panic dulled. Thunderous resolve darkened her face as she tightened her fist.

The basement door banged open.

Sasori jerked the head of Hiruko over its shoulder, and its gaze clashed with an accusatory glare.

Aiko stormed toward the operating table, mouth roughened by outrage, cold fire crackling on her tongue. "_You—" _A convulsion from the scientist interrupted the start of her tirade. Aiko halted beside the operating table and looked down at the captive. Her temper cooled to a steely calm. She pinched the bridge of her nose, where a headache had replaced the burning pain, and spoke between her teeth. "What, exactly, do you need?"

On edge from her entrance, Sasori gestured at the scientist and snarled, "Keep him alive. You're a medical ninja, so you should be able to handle that, right?"

A response was not necessary. Snatching a flashlight from her pouch, Aiko pulled open the eyelids of the scientist and found that his pupils had enlarged. She checked his rapid pulse. Deducing that he was in shock, Aiko snapped her fingers in front of her lips, activating her Ketsuekigan. Her irises swapped color in an instant. Yellow orbs spun around her pupils as she studied the labyrinth of blood vessels, pinpointing where the poison had already spread, and slipped on a pair of gloves. Sasori watched her with an impatient scowl.

"This is going to be difficult," Aiko informed him, voice as brisk as her movements, "but, it's doable."

"Whatever you do," Sasori hissed, "don't remove the poison until he talks. Got it?"

"Very well." Aiko narrowed her eyes. "What are you interrogating him for?"

Sasori angled his sharp head to the side. "Information about a man named Orochimaru. I've been ordered to retrieve a ring that he possesses, and you," he grimaced, voice becoming grittier, "are going to help me get it."

Aiko nodded. "Fine. Be patient, and I'll bring this guy back for you."

Sasori grumbled, irritated.

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**{Part II}**

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Tension was palpable between the two shinobi. Sasori watched Aiko bend across the operating table, poised like a tigress, cheeks striped by the shadows that came from the flickering candles. Chakra blazed crimson around her hands. She moved her energy through the blood vessels of the scientist, magnetizing the poison to a single location under the skin, and tucked her tongue between her teeth. While scrutinizing the reaction of the scientist and his body to the toxins, a curiosity surfaced and trespassed across her tongue. "Your poison, does it prevent the body from manufacturing proteins?"

Sasori narrowed his eyes at her swift deduction. "Yeah, something like that."

Aiko disregarded his grumpy response. With her Ketsuekigan, she could see how the poison had seeped into the muscles of the scientist and infiltrated his cells. He cringed unconsciously as she relocated the toxins. While one hand directed the poison through his bloodstream, the other lurked over his throbbing heart. Aiko glanced at her superior. "You didn't expect it to work this quickly, did you?" Sasori twitched, and his vague annoyance was enough of an answer. Aiko pursed her pensive lips. "You've refined the poison with too many heavy metals."

Sasori grimaced. He did not require her criticisms. Yet, he wondered about her technique. His sharp mind spun until he identified the reason behind her abilities.

Abruptly, he spoke.

"You have magnet release chakra."

Taken aback by the blunt statement, Aiko flicked her eyes to Sasori, hints of a wry smile tugging on her lips. "Yeah," she murmured, "something like that." It took Sasori a minute to realize that she was mocking him. Before he could snap at her, Aiko swept her touch into the shoulder of the scientist and his eyes snapped open, suddenly conscious of his surroundings, lurching forward. A commanding hand pressed against his chest. "Remain calm," Aiko remarked. Clarity rang throughout her voice, ultrafeminine and infuriating for the scientist, whose ragged breaths tore right through his throat. "Do not move."

Sweat lashed across his brow, the scientist growled, "Who put you in charge?"

Spurred on by childish spite, Aiko flicked a dash of poison back into his bloodstream. The scientist convulsed and his throat swelled like the gular sac of a bullfrog. When he was on the verge of vomiting, Aiko intensified the magnetic powers of her chakra, and withdrew the toxins back to his shoulder. She allowed the poison to disperse in his deltoid. Flexing her fingers, Aiko clenched the muscle, squeezing out the toxins like liquid from a sponge, then released the poison again. The scientist yelped.

"Enough." Sasori rebuked Aiko. "_I_ will conduct the interrogation. Now," he turned his unforgiving glare to the scientist, "where were we?"

A shout erupted from the end of the basement.

"_Strike him down, Genki!"_

Palms anchored to the scientist, Aiko flicked her eyes to the speaker, whom she recognized as the crippled scientist who had called her a _traitor._ She flinched as a blur skimmed into her peripheries. Aiko identified an arrangement of veins, right down to the dorsal venous network of a hand, which slapped a tag onto the shoulder of Hiruko. Springing over the operating table, Aiko peeled the paper off his shoulder. Flames singed her fingers. She flung the tag across the room, calligraphy igniting on impact with a wooden bench, which exploded as Aiko charged after their opponent. Skidding across the cement floor, she fanned a handful of needles across her knuckles. The edge of a kunai hurtled past her cheek, and she heard the flap of a tag.

The blade struck Hiruko in the neck.

An explosion blasted Sasori across the basement.

Ducking behind a work bench, Aiko covered her head, elbows shaking beside her ears. The scorpion tail shattered. A metal plate ricocheted off the wall, spinning like a top into the corner where Aiko had crouched, and she dodged the deadly shrapnel. Her chest lurched as she beheld the basement. Strewn across the floor, the remains of Hiruko were unrecognizable among the rubble, nothing but metallic joints, bolts, and inhuman body parts. Horrified by his fragmented body, Aiko glanced at the operating table, which had tipped over. Strapped to the cold surface, the interrogated scientist wrenched with convulsions, vomit splattering onto the floor.

Clutching his bandaged stump, expression resolute and churlish, the crippled scientist snarled, "Get the girl! Slit her fucking throat, Genki!"

Aiko landed beside the basement door. Unable to see the shadowless phantom, Aiko tensed when she heard him brush over the broken skull of Hiruko, and strained her Ketsuekigan eyes. Genki was coming for her. Throwing her needles in his direction, she panicked when he parried her attack, and her weapons clattered against the skeleton of Hiruko. Aiko twisted on her waist to retrieve another handful of needles, but her joints stiffened. She strained against her body, which ached with chakra depletion, and her confidence faltered. When she turned back around, the pointed tip of a scarecrow nose skimmed hers, and Aiko peered into the pitiless gaze of her opponent. She bared her teeth in a hiss.

"Stay back, or else I'll—"

Haggard and giggling, Genki smiled. "You were too slow, Aiko." His blade skimmed her throbbing jugular, and he leaned close with a thrilling whisper. _"This is for Lord Orochimaru!" _

A sword ran through his back.

Genki stiffened, and Aiko stumbled backwards, bracing her weight against the doorway, undoing her Ketsuekigan. Her opponent crashed face first onto the floor. Blood pooled around his motionless body, and she looked at the swordsman responsible for his death. Devoid of thoughts and feelings, the man who had rescued Aiko stared back at her with blank eyes. His head clacked to the side, his sparse hair scattering across his scalp, and his jaw unhinged. She swallowed the lump that had dislodged from her heart into her throat; he was nothing more than a puppet.

Another man spoke.

"What insolence."

Drawn to the soft voice, which might have been pleasant—seductive, even—without its merciless edge, Aiko glanced from the marionette to its master. As her eyes crossed the floor, sweeping across the empty bowels of Hiruko, she reached a startling conclusion. Too irascible to be anyone but Sasori, a young man yanked on the shimmering blue strings, which flashed as he clenched his fingers, commanding his puppet to the opposite side of the room. Crimson hair soft and flaming, Sasori glanced at Aiko, then disregarded her altogether.

Aiko opened her mouth to speak, but her body went rigid. She crumpled against the doorway. Hand against the cool frame, she sank onto her haunches, pain ebbing throughout her limbs. Using the Ketsuekigan for an extended period of time had exhausted her. The advanced medical techniques had pushed the young woman to her limits. Sweat dribbled behind her ears, glistening in her loose strands of hair, which curled at the nape of her neck. Aiko felt her buttocks hit the floor. She tried to sit upright against the frame, but she collapsed into a heap.

Sasori heard a soft thump. Although his ears pricked to the noise, he focused his unforgiving glare on the scientist, peering at his victim through heavily lidded eyes. He tugged on his glimmering chakra strings. The deceased swordsman reared like a spiteful curse over the cripple. "You feigned unconsciousness well enough to fool me. Bravo," the young man punctuated his congratulations with an applausive clack from his puppet, "really, I had no idea."

One swift tug, and blood splattered onto the basement wall.

Recalling his puppet into its scroll, Sasori grated the heel of his hand against his forehead. Only one prisoner remained alive, and Hiruko was destroyed. "That philistine ruined one of my masterpieces," he muttered, "how _dare _he." Sasori strode over to where Aiko lay. Stretched across the basement threshold, elbow digging into her ribs, she breathed in small trembles. He knelt and snapped his fingers beside her ear. "Get up, girl." The sound did not stir her. Annoyance flickered in his wide brown eyes. Her lack of awareness had nearly killed her, forced Sasori to dispose of two valuable information sources, and would set them back a considerable amount of time.

He had overestimated her abilities.

Cloak snapping over his calves, Sasori stood and fired a glare over his shoulder. Aiko had not moved a muscle. His intensity rebounded, and he gloomily stooped to lift the face of Hiruko off the floor.

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**{Part III}**

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Aiko lay unconscious, but her mind lurched into overdrive.

When the medical ninja in Konohagakure had diagnosed her with retrograde amnesia, Aiko asked if her memories could be recovered. Her nurses exchanged glances that were inhibited by guilt. The nurse assigned to Aiko sank onto her bedside. Blonde hair escaped from her fishtail braid. "Your case was very traumatic," she murmured, the scent of lilacs wafting off her swan neck. "My name is Ayame Yamanaka, and I will help you suppress any remnants of your memories."

"I understand," Aiko had mumbled, "but, will I remember anything?"

"You might see fragments of memories in your dreams, but nothing concrete will surface."

For many months, Ayame used her memory suppression techniques to ascertain that Aiko would not recall the events that happened between her childhood in Iwagakure and her introduction to Konohagakure. She had impressions of parents who rejected her and working in underground laboratories where she refined her poisons and medical techniques. But conversations, figures, and occurrences had evaded her, skittered away from her outstretched fingertips, lost to the depths of her subconsciousness.

All of her memories had been untouchable—

Until now.

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**{Part IV}**

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_Aiko opened her eyes. Cabinets, secured with silver chakra locks, were spread across the walls of an underground facility. Fluorescent lights illuminated the long room. Aiko stepped across the floor tiles, and seeing her shimmery faint shadow, looked at her feet. She did not recognize her shoes. Confused, she placed her palms on her stomach to ascertain that she was still in her body. Feeling the pressure of her palms, she calmed, but panicked when she found that she had shrunken into a childlike form._

_What is this?_

_The clanking of metal utensils directed her attention to a tall man who towered over an operating table. Black hair stretched down his spine, flirting with the edges of a chunin flak jacket, and shifted when he glanced over his shoulder. Aiko saw a sliver of a nose that was straight and white. Pangs of longing reverberated in the deepest chasms of her heart. She approached the man, and sensitive to her movements, he acknowledged her with a smile. _

"_Something the matter, my dear? Come, why don't you help me with my newest experiment, mm?"_

_His silvery voice was enticing. A sense of loyalty, stronger than any impulse that had ever possessed her, magnetized Aiko to the enigmatic man. She strode forward. When she joined his side, he placed a pale hand on her shoulder. His thumb kneaded her sore muscles. Although a sense of trust had been instilled in her, Aiko could not relax in his presence. She did not remember him. Her mind strained when she tried to recall when she had felt so peaceful, but furious throbs forbid her curiosity. _

_Frustrated by her uncooperative memory, she disregarded the warning signals, determined to know the identity of this man._

_Glancing up to catch a glimpse of his face, Aiko flinched when the vision cut short._

_She plunged into absolute darkness._

_Thrashing against a relentless tide of shadows, Aiko surfaced in a different memory. She gasped. Lights swung like scythes above her head, slicing across her squinted eyes, and an IV rattled when she tried to look away. Visceral pain gripped her body, and she was vaguely aware of an incision in her stomach. Blinking away the blurriness of her sight, which refused to focus properly, Aiko glanced down her front. _

_She nearly vomited._

_Mangled organs pulsed and squirmed in her center, bodily fluids sloshing out of a wide opening, and Aiko choked on a scream. She wanted to cover her mouth, but her wrists had been restrained. Tethered by unbreakable leather bonds, Aiko realized that she could not move, but her ears stiffened when she distinguished two voices. The first one was unfamiliar, but the second voice belonged to the man who had been in the previous scene._

"_I am afraid her condition is too serious. She will never recover from her injuries, not enough to be useful; I have done all that I can to save her."_

_Turned away from her prying eyes, the enigmatic man spoke in conspiratorial tones, demanding a more satisfactory report. Her longing for him intensified tenfold. Wanting him to look at her, Aiko pushed her cheek upon the operating table pillow, into her tangled hair and against the crinkling plastic cover, but her rustling did not redirect his attention. Posture tightened by fatigue, the man impaled his translucent fingers into his forehead, and spoke with a low, taunting chuckle._

"_Pity," he sighed, "it's such a pity."_

_Aiko panicked. She could not bear it. She needed him to know that she was conscious. If he would only sense the resilience in her heart, then all would be well. _

_But the man walked away._

_Crushed by a disappointment so deep and absolute that her throat ached, Aiko restrained her furious tears. She hurtled back into the darkness. Betrayal overwhelmed her. Wild emotions slashed through her thoughts, butchering her attempts to make sense of the situation, leaving Aiko in a state of hysteria. She attempted to wake herself up, convinced that all this nonsense was a bad dream, but she could not escape. _

_Waves of confusion submerged her until she lurched onto another shore. _

_The black night sky hung overhead. Too dizzy to distinguish the stars, Aiko inhaled, determined to see past the haze. But when she took her first breath, she choked on the rancid stench of waste. __A fingernail scratched her cheek, and Aiko flung her stare into the looking glass of two blue eyes. She threw herself backwards. Flesh bitten away by rats, the chubby arm of a child hung across the carcass of a dog. Her fingers twitched, movements caused by the ferocious rip of teeth, and Aiko recoiled from the rotting cherub, stricken when she beheld a heap of mutilated corpses. _

_Aiko scrabbled against the ground until she sliced open her fingers on shards of broken glass. Looking down, she discovered chunks of a beaker, and tried to stagger to her feet, but lost her balance._

_Falling from grace had never been so unbecoming. _

_Aiko smashed her face into the dirt, upsetting a nest of flies, which hurricaned into a black fury around her head. Despite her circumstances, she refused to die in the filthy mud and dragged herself onto her elbows, straining her body. A split bolted as fast as lightning across her belly. Blood gushed from a poorly sewn incision, and Aiko clamped her palm against a surge of organs, which spilled outward. Tears stung her eyes. She activated the mystical palms technique, chakra spluttering around her hand, wavering like the light of a dying lantern. Aiko trailed her knuckles across her broken mouth, lips trembling with a sob, unable to bear her memories. _

_She had been thrown out with the garbage. _

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**{Part V}**

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Aiko flinched awake.

Holding her head, she reminded herself that the memories posed no threat to her, and inhaled deeply. She needed to focus on her ambitions. The faint scent of hushed candles filtered into her nostrils, and when she looked into the basement, not a soul dwelt in the pitch black shadows. Peeling her limp body off the floor, her ponytail swung over her shoulder, knocking against her cheek. Her brown hair completely unraveled when she gripped the railing to yank herself onto her feet. Riddled with aches, Aiko staggered against the wall and fetched painkillers from her medicine pouch. She popped the pills between her teeth, and her ears pricked to two recognizable voices.

"Deidara, just do it."

"Sorry, but I still don't get it, my man."

Quickly swallowing the pills when she heard the quarrel overhead, Aiko knelt on the first step. Sasori snapped at Deidara, incensed and contemptuous, having argued with him for nearly an hour. "She needs to learn how to pay attention to her surroundings. Her combat skills," his voice lowered to a venomous hiss, and Aiko assumed that he was discussing her, "are pathetic. It's a wonder she's lived this long."

"Yeah, I get that, but why do _I _have to train her?"

Aiko frowned. While she had a poor opinion of Deidara, she wholeheartedly agreed with his bafflement. She wanted an explanation. Ghosting up the wooden stairs, Aiko reached the ground floor, and crept across the panels. Her spine tingled when she stood against the wall. Inching towards the kitchen, Aiko peeked around the corner. Slouched into his chair, drumming his fingernails against his temples and on the table, Sasori glowered at his partner. The conversation had not been going well, and his patience had reached its limits.

Fanning out his long fingers, Deidara hoisted his palm upwards, retort smug enough to make Sasori hiss.

"Why don't you get a different informant, hm?"

Infuriated by the mocking tone, Sasori clenched his teeth and spat, "I already told you, I _can't." _Hostile flames darkened his brown eyes, which slimmed when he sensed another presence. Breath hitching in her throat, Aiko pushed her back against the wall, but she knew that Sasori had already caught her. She divorced her body from the shadows. Listening for her light footsteps, Sasori did not acknowledge her until she stood on the threshold. Owlish, his gaze swiveled over his shoulder, voice softening with his cynicism. "How nice of you to join us."

Aiko nodded, leery of his placid tone.

Suspecting that she had overheard most of the conversation, Sasori remarked, "Deidara was just talking about how he would _love _to have you a sparring partner, weren't you?"

Deidara grimaced. Then, seeing how uncomfortable Aiko looked, he scoffed and combed his fingers through his thick bangs. "Fine! Have it your way, hm." He flicked a cool glance at the young woman. Guard raised from their previous encounter, Aiko tensed when Deidara approached her. She skirted the edge of his approaching shadow. His unswerving eyes snared hers, and they circled each other, stepping in a sideways dance. Her pluck amused him, and his voice loudened with a declaration. "I won't go easy on her. You sure you're okay with that, my man?"

Sasori put his elbow on the table and perched his chin atop his knuckles. "I couldn't possibly care less about your methods." He avoided the uncertain look in his informant's eyes. "Like I said before, just do it, Deidara."

Arching his visible eyebrow at Aiko, the blond chuckled.

_**"****This is going to be fun."**_

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**{End}**


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